


Warmth

by curiouscorvid (prometheanTactician)



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Abuse, Body Horror, Gore, M/M, Monsters, NUFF SAID, Pseudo-Suicidal Thoughts, The doc for this was called "Jonathan Crane Creature Feature", eds dad is in this, neither of the pairing are abusive btw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-20
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2019-01-20 09:50:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12430248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prometheanTactician/pseuds/curiouscorvid
Summary: The creature made a sound. A strange clicking noise, somewhere between a purr and a growl. There was something inquisitive about it, and with every moment he spent witnessing this terror, Edward found himself further enthralled, desperate to know more about it. The creature seemed to be of a like-mind, tilting its head as if it were studying Edward, and as if it were uncertain of what it had found.Then it spoke.





	Warmth

He was supposed to be out of the house by now. He was supposed to be long gone, taken off years ago. He was a genius. He was supposed to be better than this. He was supposed to be making money by outsmarting the law and moving as far away from his father as he could manage. But here he was, twenty years old and hiding in his bedroom like a child, aching all over and hardly able to move from his bed. He was ashamed of himself. He was an adult now, a grown man, still living under the thumb of his father.

It wasn’t hard to see why, despite hating him so much, his father let him keep living under his roof. Well, forcing him to live there, really. The fact of the matter was that Edward did make a lot of money very much illegally, and his father siphoned all of it. He tried to keep it in separate accounts, tried to hide it and hoard it, but his father always got to it. Usually by threatening to kill him if he didn’t relinquish it. He never had the chance to save enough to get away, because his father simply didn’t want him to. His father wanted that money and his father wanted a punching bag. There was no way out. For all his intelligence, he just could not solve this puzzle.

Maybe he really was a moron.

He thought one of his ribs might have been broken. It hurt too much to curl up the way he usually did, and so he found himself staring up at the ceiling. His eyes stung. You’d think he’d be too used to the pain to keep crying about it, but it never stopped being horrible. He could hear his father downstairs, his loud voice carrying carelessly, speaking audibly about Edward’s flaws. How stupid he was, how useless. How he was too old to be living there and how he should be grateful his father hadn’t thrown him out onto the street. He wanted to scream. He wanted to yell back that he wanted to leave, he really did. Didn’t he? Maybe some part of him wanted to stay. Maybe he hated himself that much.

Evening turned to night, and the loud voice from below quieted, replaced by canned laughter from the television and the clinking of bottles. His father would be settling in for the night. He’d drink in front of the television until he fell asleep in his chair, and in the morning he’d wake up stiff and sore and hungover, then he’d storm upstairs to yell at Edward for being a lazy piece of shit because he was still in bed. Edward was dreading it. He dreaded each new day, he dreaded living, and he didn’t want to do it anymore. He didn’t want to die, exactly. He just wanted this all to stop.

He didn’t move. The inky blackness of the night filled every corner of his room, and he didn’t bother switching on a lamp. He didn’t budge. He laid there, staring upwards, even when he could no longer see his ceiling through the shadows. He thought it was his eyes or his exhausted mind playing tricks on him when he saw the darkness shifting. When he saw impossibly _darker_ patches of shadow, writhing in the already pitch black. Had he fallen asleep? Was this sleep paralysis? He’d never had it before, but it was more likely if you fell asleep on your back.

It wasn’t sleep paralysis, he realized, because he could move. He propped himself up onto his elbows and looked around to see that it wasn’t just the ceiling. All over his bedroom, shadows were coming to life around him. He kept thinking he could see eyes looking at him, but when he tried to meet them they disappeared. All at once, the shadows shot towards one place in the room, and Edward frowned as he followed the movement with his eyes, leaning over the side of his bed to watch the shadows disappear beneath it. A monster under his bed? He heard something behind him, a sound like bones rattling, and when he whipped around he saw it climbing over the other side of his bed.

One large, gnarled, shadowy hand found purchase digging into the bed sheets. There was no visible difference between hands and claws. It seemed the hands were the claws. A second one joined it, and then a third, and then a forth. The fingers were impossibly long, spindly like the legs of a spider. The arms led into a larger mass of shadow, set into the sunken shape of a creature that was far too thin. It seemed to have a ribcage, with more ribs than a human, protruding as if the thing had spent a lifetime languishing in malnourishment. Its ribs led down into a concave stomach, jutting hips, and then it ceased its ascent. Edward brought his eyes back up the form before him, past the arms to the long neck and the horrifying visage of the creature before him. The head seemed almost human, but not like any human that was still alive. The shape was skeletal, withered and shrunken like a corpse, and the eyes seemed to be hollow holes despite the icy glow from deep within the gap. It had a hood covering the top of its head, draped over it in a flowing curtain that seemed to grow longer as Edward followed it with his eyes, until it was covering nearly all of the body he had previously seen. He couldn’t see if it had a mouth. It was all shadow, all darkness, with no details. If it had a mouth, he would not see until it was opened.

If he were someone else, someone less curious, then he would wish to never see that happen.

The creature made a sound. A strange clicking noise, somewhere between a purr and a growl. There was something inquisitive about it, and with every moment he spent witnessing this terror, Edward found himself further enthralled, desperate to know more about it. The creature seemed to be of a like-mind, tilting its head as if it were studying Edward, and as if it were uncertain of what it had found.

Then it spoke.

There was no mouth opened, no physical movement in an effort to speak, and Edward didn’t hear it out loud so much as he heard it inside of his head. Its voice sounded frail and dry, like withered parchment found in ancient ruins that would fall apart the moment someone touched it.

_I came here seeking a meal, yet I have the distinct sense I have been denied._

It took Edward a moment to process that, and another to think of what to even say in return.

“A… meal?” His voice was quiet, but it didn’t shake. He didn’t sound afraid, even to himself. Was he afraid? He wasn’t sure. He knew, logically, that he should be. But he wasn’t. The creature shifted, the shadows that made up its form shifting like water as it leaned closer, moving its face towards Edwards.

_I seek a nightmare. I weave dreams, inspire horror, and devour terror. I caught the scent of fear already conjured, and thought to find an easy meal. Yet here I find you, already awake._

It sounded like it was… scolding him. Like he had done something wrong. Edward couldn’t help but laugh, bitterly and without humor. The creature recoiled as if he had attacked it, and he could see the confusion in every coiled patch of darkness that made up its physical form.

“I don’t need to sleep to find my nightmares, honey.” His tone was condescending, and he wondered if that would provoke this creature to attack him. It didn’t. It studied him, and after a moment it began to move closer again. It rose further up the bed towards him until its face was an inch from his own. He expected it to smell like rot or smoke, but instead found it smelled of ozone and the fresh chill of autumn. A bone-deep sort of cold seeped into Edward’s body as the thing grew impossibly close to him, as if it followed the creature like an aura. He didn’t move back. He didn’t flinch. He didn’t look away from the glowing pits where its eyes simply did not exist. He felt ice against his cheek, and that did cause him to jump a little, but the creature did not seem deterred. It simply continued to run one long claw down the side of his face, from his hairline to his jawline.

 _Your life is torment. Outside of yourself and within. Your world is a pit of suffocating, inescapable dread. Fear has been your life since you were just a boy, and now you are a man and you believe it should have ended._ The thing sounded patronizing, as if that belief was adorable and quaint. _But fear does not simply end, child. You cannot numb yourself to the terror and hatred that consumes you._

The creature’s hand left his face and came to rest over the center of his chest, the frigid chill seeping through his clothes.

_To conquer fear, to truly conquer it, you must become the thing people fear. You must take your terror into your own hands and wield it as a weapon against those who would use it against you. Keep it so close, child, so near to your heart that it really and truly becomes a part of you. Embrace your fears, and then you shall know peace._

Its arms slid around him, claws digging into his back just short of painfully, and the place where its mouth should have been rested against his ear.

 _He will never let you go, child. He will never leave you be._ Edward felt his heart clench and his stomach twist. He felt the sting of tears in his eyes at the harsh truth, and felt sharp claws tear through the back of his shirt. He could feel the warm drip of blood along his back. It wasn’t much, his skin was just barely punctured. The creature didn’t seem to be _trying_ to hurt him. 

“Then what am I supposed to do?” He whispered, voice finally wrecked beneath the weight of his dismal future. He _felt_ the creature purr more than he heard it, and when it pulled back to look at him he had the distinct impression that it was smiling.

_Kill him._

Edward knew he should argue. He knew he should say he could never do that, or that it would be a horrible thing to do. He knew he should be upset by the mere suggestion… A good person wouldn’t want to kill his own father. Right?

_Oh child. There are no good people. There are only people, and the things that they do._

Well. His father already insisted he was horrible anyway. Might as well prove him right. But the moment he had that thought, the creature growled, and Edward snapped his attention back to the thing before him.

_No._

“No?”

_You do not prove him right. He is vile. You kill him, and you do the world a favor. You take your life into your own hands. He is not your father, he is your tormentor, and he deserves to die. You are more than what he says you are._

“Why-” Edward was baffled. What even was this thing? “Why do you care? Why are you telling me this? Why are you trying to _help?_ ”

 _Care?_ It flinched again, drawing back from him. _I do not care. I simply speak the truth…_ It paused for a moment. _And, in truth, I believe you remind me of someone I knew long, long ago. A boy from another time, and another life._

There was a moment of silence, and then the creature started to withdraw back into the shadows. In a surge of panic, Edward reached out and grabbed its hand. It made a strange sound, like a quiet shriek, but didn’t pull away any further.

“What’s your name?”

It only looked at him.

“What… what do I call you?”

_Nothing. I am leaving._

“What about the next time I see you?”

_Why would you see me again, child?_

“I’d like to. You can even eat my nightmares, if that’s what it takes. I want to speak with you again.” The creature was quiet for a long, long moment.

_Why?_

It was a gentle hiss of a question, and another voice echoed softly beneath it. Something smaller. Something frightened.

“You’re interesting. You’re not like anyone I’ve ever seen, and no one has ever been so kind to me before.” The creature regarded him solemnly as he spoke.

_I am a being of darkness, hatred, and horror. If what you say is true, then the state of mankind is worse than even I had thought._

Its hand dissipated in Edward’s own, allowing the creature to slip away again.

_You will see me again._

And then it was gone.

\---------

His face was swollen. His father had finally stormed out, allowing Edward to slink downstairs and into the kitchen to fetch some ice for it. The kitchen was a mess, as it always was, and if his father were smarter then Edward would suspect his father kept it that way on purpose to keep him away from it. His room was disorganized, sure, but it wasn’t _dirty._ The kitchen was dirty, and it made his skin crawl. Getting an icepack for his face was a whole production. He had to find a cloth, then actually wash whatever filthy one he found. There was never ice ready. He’d have to wait for it to freeze. Usually he didn’t think it was worth all the effort, but his father had really done a number on his that night.

He slid the newly-filled ice tray into the freezer, sighing as he closed the door and prepared to wait. He turned away from it, promptly screamed and felt his legs collapse beneath him, sending him falling onto his ass. He scrambled back against the fridge, looking up at the thing looming over him. It had been barely an inch from his face when he’d been standing. The cloak covered all of it but its face, and while it was standing it towered over his own considerable height by multiple feet.

The creature tilted its head as Edward gulped down a few steadying breaths and pushed himself back to his feet.

_You did not fear me, last time._

“You didn’t sneak up on me, last time.” He shot back irritably, face flushed in embarrassment. The creature stared at him for a long moment, and then an arm appeared. It did not part the cloak so much as it seemed to materialize from the cloak itself. It ran the back of its long, sharp fingers down the darkening bruise on Edward’s cheek, and the human closed his eyes. The creatures hands were so, so cold. Colder than the ice, but somehow not stinging the way ice would. It was nice. Without allowing himself to question what he was about to do, Edward grabbed the creature’s hand and laid the palm of it flat against the swollen part of his face.The pain seemed to dissipate almost immediately, and he visibly relaxed as a result. He felt the edges of the creatures fingers bend, and wondered if it would shred his face apart for his audacity. Instead, it moved its fingers independently of its palm in a way that Edward was sure would be disorienting to see, and ran its fingers through his hair. He opened his eyes when he felt that, and smiled at the blank-faced shadow staring at him in obvious confusion.

_You truly do not fear me._

“You haven’t given me much reason to.” Edward pointed out, and if the creature had a mouth then it would likely be frowning.

_My appearance is usually enough._

“You’ll have to try harder than that, I’m afraid.”

_That’s the problem. You are not afraid._

“Why is that a problem?”

 _Because I am glad of it._ It said the words so grimly, it sounded as if that were something horrible. Then he changed the subject abruptly. _He has hurt you again._

“He hurts me almost daily.” Edward scoffed, trying to seem dismissive about it. The creature was not fooled.

_You have not killed him._

“I need a plan. I can’t just kill him. I’ll be arrested if I don’t do it properly.”

_The longer you take, the more he will hurt you._

“I know.” Ed shrugged. “That’s all I can do.” The creature seemed to have some thought on that, but did not voice it. It stayed silent, and Edward decided to ask something yet still unanswered. “You never told me your name.”

_I no longer have one._

“But you did?” The implications of that were fascinating, and Edward perked up at the idea of another puzzle to solve. The creature hesitated before answering.

_I believe so. In another time._

“And another life?” Connections began to form in Edward’s head, even as the creature lapsed once again into silence. “Will you tell me what that name is?”

 _Perhaps. When I... remember._ Another hand appeared from the cloak, and it came to rest on Edward’s chest at it had done last time. It pulled its hand back, and Edward felt a tug as the creature pulled something dark and seemingly intangible from his chest. It was small, and smooth, and the creature pressed it into his hand. _The next time he attempts to harm you, press this to your lips and speak softly of your fear._

“...What will happen if I do?” Edward asked quietly, holding the stone up to observe. The creatures face shifted. Its face split in half horizontally, the lower half unhinging and lowering to reveal a maw of jagged rows of teeth with no tongue in sight. When it spoke again, there was another echo, but this one wasn’t frightened or soft. It was dark, and hard, and vicious. This echo wanted blood.

_I will devour him._

The treacherous maw narrowed as if in a grin, and Edward found himself entranced as it closed completely. He clutched the stone in his hand, and before he truly realized what he was about to do, he lunged forward. He kissed the creature frantically, desperately, and the claws that dug into his hips didn’t push him away. The creature kissed him carefully, cautious of its many teeth, but it was kissing him back and that was all Edward cared about.

“Thank you.” He whispered when he had his breath back, his free hand clutching the creatures cloak tightly even as it held him against itself with a supernatural strength. The creature dipped its head down as if to kiss him again, but instead nestled its face against his neck. It was purring again. Edward wrapped his arms around it, and almost missed when it spoke again, mostly because it didn’t at all sound like itself.

 _You’re so warm._ Was all it said, but for just a moment Edward was sure its voice was different. Quiet. Soft, gentle, lonesome. Human. It sounded human.

Then the front door opened and slammed closed, and his arms were empty. Automatically, Edward sprinted for his room before his father could see him downstairs. He had hoped the creature had retreated up there as well, but it had not. Edward was alone for the rest of the night. He held the stone in his hand the whole while, and despite the yelling from downstairs and the loneliness of his bedroom, he found himself smiling in the dark.

\-----

He was almost excited when he heard his father storming upstairs again. It was late, three in the morning according to his clock. His door was thrown open, and instead of the usual resigned fear he usually responded with, he only smiled. That earned him a good smack for being a smug little shit. The only real terror came when for a moment, he couldn’t find the stone in the dark. He’d fallen asleep with it in bed, and frantically he tried to find it tangled among the covers even as his father grabbed him and tried to drag him up and out of the room.

It was a close thing. He just barely managed to stand his ground, and his hand closed around the cold stone just the barest moment before he was finally thrown off balance and yanked away, pushed into the wall of the hallway. He had to be scared, he remembered. He had to whisper his fear into the stone. It wasn’t hard. He just had to let himself fall back into that panicked, vulnerable place he’d spent so much of his life. Let himself feel fragile and threatened. His father stalked towards him, and Edward whispered a plea for help into the stone.

The lightbulbs in the hallway lamps exploded, one after another towards them. His father's attention was pulled towards them, but Edward was watching the shadows. His father approached the lights, but the darkness pulled together behind him and twisted into another form. The creature had to hunch to stand under the low ceiling of the hallway, seeming to take up the entire space. It looked down where Edward had fallen against the wall, battered and wide-eyed in awe at the magnificent sight before him. A growl filled the small space, grabbing his father's attention. The old man turned, and did not have the chance to scream.

When the creature had said it would devour him, that was not hyperbole. It seemed to take its time, relishing in its prey’s agony. Sharp teeth pulled him limb from limb, ripped him open and splattered the hall with blood. With every scream, wisps of something smoke-like came off of him and empowered the creature. It was horrifying. Edward couldn’t stop smiling ear to ear, so much so that his cheeks ached from it. There was a strained gurgle as his father breathed his last, and then there was silence. The creature stood silently in that hallway, as still as the grave, not seeming at all winded by the display it had just put on.

Slowly, Edward stood, not yet having noticed that the stone had disappeared.

 _Jonathan._ The creature spoke, still unmoving. Edward approached, reaching out cautiously and pulling a hand on its back. It still did not move, nor did it react. _My name was Jonathan._

“Was?”

_A very long time ago._

“In another time. Another life.” Edward supplied, then continued almost gently. “You were a human?” He received no response, and so tried again. “What happened?”

 _I was alone. I was hurt, I was frightened. I was dying._ As it spoke, an echo of that soft, human voice started to make itself known beneath the creatures archaic hiss. _I was filled with terror and fury in equal measure. I gave myself over to hatred. I became a harbinger of fear and gave myself over to something… Other. I do not regret my decision. I do not dislike what I am now. I have power. I have control. But I am cold, Edward._

Finally, it turned towards him, pulling him closer and encasing him in shadow.

 _And you are so, so warm._ Edward closed his eyes, suddenly exhausted, and let the creature devour him in a different way. _You are special. Not in the grand scheme of things, perhaps, but to me. Come with me. Let me keep this. Let me keep you, and though it is not in my nature, I will do all I can to make you happy._

Edward opened his eyes, and despite the warmth in his chest begging him to agree, he very gently disentangled himself from the creature known as Jonathan. He smiled almost sadly, and pressed a gentle kiss to the unseen mouth that hid teeth that could shred him to pieces.

“... I can’t.” Was his reply, and the distress was immediately visible in the creature. “I want to see what life I can earn for myself. I want to experience the world out from under my father’s thumb. I still want to see you. I still want you, and I want to let you have me as well. But I’m not something to be placed on a shelf or kept like a pet.”

_That is not what I-_

“I know.” He assured. “Jonathan, I will gladly let you keep this. I will gladly let you keep me. But only if I can have my freedom, and only if I can keep you as well. I will be yours, if you will be mine. Equally.” That seemed to irk something deep without Jonathan’s nature.

_A mere human-_

“Don’t start with that. That’s my final offer. If you want me, those are my terms.”

There was a low growl from the creature, and for a moment Edward wondered if he was about to meet the same fate as his father. Then the growl began to dissipate, and faded into a gentle purr.

_Then I suppose I am yours, dear one. As you are mine._

Edward smiled.

“That’s all I ask.”


End file.
